AIBU?
How quickly did your kids learn to read?
NotUmbongoUnchained · 06/11/2018 11:23
Daughter is 4, she’s just started school, birthday is 30th August so she’s almost a year younger than most of her class.
She knows all the alphabet, her witting is fantastic and if I tell her a word she will sound it out and write it down.
But she can’t read sounds together. She can sound out each letter, but can’t put the sounds together to get the word and we’re both getting frustrated with each other!
Is this normal? How long should it take her to put the letters together. I know she’s a little slower because she’s tri lingual.
Bugsymalonemumof2 · 06/11/2018 11:29
Sure this is just aimed at bragging but there is no rush. She is doing well.
NotUmbongoUnchained · 06/11/2018 11:29
Bragging? Why would I be bragging that my kid can’t read ? 
NotUmbongoUnchained · 06/11/2018 11:31
For fuck sake. Can’t post anything on this forum anymore.
NotUmbongoUnchained · 06/11/2018 11:34
Not read properly, but to put two letters together to make the sound.
pudcat · 06/11/2018 11:34
For goodness sake she is only 4. Getting frustrated with will put her off reading for good. Just look at books with her, read to her and get her to talk about the pictures.
NotUmbongoUnchained · 06/11/2018 11:35
I just thought reading would come before spelling iyswim.
tiggerkid · 06/11/2018 11:37
For fuck sake. Can’t post anything on this forum anymore.
Not sure what you mean by this but...
Is this normal?
Each child learns to read at different times. My mother taught me how to read basic things and very simple books very early. She tells me before age of 4. However, my son learnt at school. There are some children who don't really learn till 7. Every child is different. The way they learn is different. Their skills are different. Some are better at reading. Some are better at maths. Some are more creative. Is one any less normal than the other? I don't know. The main thing is that most will eventually learn to read. That's all that matters.
pudcat · 06/11/2018 11:38
Also how you say the sounds makes a lot of difference. If you are saying suh for s instead of ssssss and adding uh to other consonants makes it harder to meld the sounds.
NotUmbongoUnchained · 06/11/2018 11:39
I just find it really odd that they’re teaching her phonics but giving her words to read where the letter is pronounced differently to how they’ve been taught.
We get frustrated because I have an accent so I’m not pronouncing the words how her teachers are.
Dizzywizz · 06/11/2018 11:41
Have you spoken to her teacher about it? What do they think?
NotUmbongoUnchained · 06/11/2018 11:42
We have our first parents evening tomorrow so I just wanted to find out what was normal before I ask silly questions and look like a prick.
She’s got certificates for reading, but she’s not actually reading if you see what I mean. That’s why I’m confused.
sadsadsady · 06/11/2018 11:43
Ffs. Ds won't go to school here until he's almost 6. They don't do any letters at all in preschool until then.
I'm happy with that, he's doing some stuff off his own back at home because he's asked to (just recognising and writing letters) but I'm in no way pushing or expecting him to.
British schooling is getting more and more hysterical and competitive, it's really sad.
7salmonswimming · 06/11/2018 11:43
Well you’ve identified a few obstacles yourself. She’s only 4.
Step back, go easy on her. It’s all going in, it’ll click and come together when she’s ready for it. It’s not a race.
In my experience once they start, it comes together quite quickly as long as books and stories are ever present at home and school (and screen time is limited).
HPandBaconSandwiches · 06/11/2018 11:45
It’s actually a huge step from knowing letters to blending a word. It doesn’t seem it to you and me, but for a 4 year old it is. Once they get it, they fly though.
You have to make they sounds long for them and let them blend into each other, so teaching “cat” don’t say “c-a-t”, say each letter long and let it merge into the next.
I’d thoroughly recommend the Reading Eggs program. It helps them through this step very well. It’s an Australian program but very well done.
NotUmbongoUnchained · 06/11/2018 11:45
We do 3 books every night, shes really keen and wants to read the words herself but is getting frustrated that she can’t put the letters together, and I’m frustrated that I can’t think of an easy way to help it click for her.
CircleofWillis · 06/11/2018 11:45
The school will be teaching how to read in two different ways - phonics for words that can be decided using sounds and sight reading for common words that don’t break down into their sounds in a regular way.
tiggerkid · 06/11/2018 11:47
I just find it really odd that they’re teaching her phonics but giving her words to read where the letter is pronounced differently to how they’ve been taught.
Not sure if anything has changed since my son was in primary school but when he was, they used to teach letters separately and teach young kids to recognise the words visually first before being able to read them by combining letters together.
This approach is entirely different from how I was taught at school but my son, nonetheless, learnt to read like all other children.
It sounds like you are from a different country and possibly didn't go to school here. It also sounds like English isn't your native language (not mine either by the way, so definitely not offence there). So, what I don't understand is how and why you are frustrated by the way your child is taught to read in English when you've never been taught to read that way yourself and, therefore, wouldn't know how effective or ineffective this or any other approach is?
CaledonianSleeper · 06/11/2018 11:48
This sounds pretty similar to my daughter who also started school in September. Chatting to other parents in her class I think it’s pretty normal. Depending on what phonics system school are using there will be something like green words (can be sounded out, but agree with PP about importance of sounds, eg sss not suh) and red words (can’t be sounded out, they just have to learn them, eg the). Ask teacher what phonics system they’re using and read up on it.
NotUmbongoUnchained · 06/11/2018 11:49
I did go to school here, but was taugt to read by my parents, I started school here when I was 7.
Hunlife · 06/11/2018 11:49
To be honest OP I am bitterly disappointed to see that she isn't reading Harry Potter and Shakespear at the age of 3. Parenting fail right there.
HPandBaconSandwiches · 06/11/2018 11:50
Oh and as for normal, there isn’t a normal at that age. My daughter is in reception equivalent with 5-6 year olds. Some can’t manage all their letters yet, some are on ORT level 11 and beyond. There is no correlation between how early they read and how well they end up doing.
It’s vital though to engender a love of books, so I’d step back and read to her and have fun!
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